Artificial womb incubator could improve survival of extremely premature babies
Extremely preterm born babies cannot breathe independently or regulate their own body temperature, so they spend the first weeks of their lives in a protective incubator. Ideally, these babies would remain in their mothers鈥� wombs a little longer, but when that is not possible, researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering have developed the next best thing: an artificial womb incubator.
The fluid-filled incubator replicates the natural womb environment as closely as possible. It is warm, babies remain submerged in fluid, and they receive oxygen and nutrients through the umbilical cord. They can even hear their mothers鈥� heartbeat.
If a baby can continue developing in the artificial womb incubator for one month, survival rates are expected to increase from 60 percent for babies born at 24 weeks to 90 percent, comparable to those of babies born at 28 weeks.
鈥淎fter birth, the baby鈥檚 umbilical cord remains intact and is connected to the artificial placenta,鈥� says Myrthe van der Ven, a technical physician affiliated with 黑料福利网 and co-founder startup AquaWomb. This artificial placenta is a miniature version of the heart-lung machine used to keep adult patients breathing and their hearts functioning during surgery. 鈥淭hat means the baby鈥檚 own heart can circulate blood through the system without the need for an additional pump. That is groundbreaking.鈥�
Technology offers premature babies a more natural start
Van der Ven emphasizes that the artificial womb incubator is an alternative for the current incubator, not a replacement for the womb. 鈥淲e are focusing on babies born between 24 and 28 weeks, which is the legal threshold in the Netherlands for medical treatment in cases of extreme prematurity.鈥�
The artificial womb incubator offers a gentler and more natural alternative to conventional incubators, where babies are fed through tubes and placed on ventilators. 鈥淢echanical ventilation is necessary because the lungs are not yet mature, but the pressure from the ventilator can also damage tissue. The risk of permanent disability in babies born at around 24 weeks is approximately 60 percent.鈥�
Our artificial womb incubator could make a major difference for extremely premature babies
Myrthe van der Ven
鈥淏y avoiding invasive ventilation with the artificial womb incubator, we hope to prevent brain hemorrhages and lung damage,鈥� Van der Ven explains.
鈥淚nitially, transfer to the artificial womb incubator will take place via cesarean section because that is easier to plan. In the long term, we hope it will also be possible after vaginal delivery. We want to keep the process as natural as possible so that mothers do not have to undergo surgery unnecessarily.鈥�
Physical and emotional bonding
The greatest advantage of the artificial womb incubator is that it recreates the womb environment as accurately as possible, allowing the baby to continue developing as it would in utero.
Parents find it difficult that they cannot physically touch their baby, but this is necessary for the child鈥檚 optimal recovery. Researchers are exploring ways to facilitate contact between mother and child, and potentially other caregivers as well, because this is important for emotional bonding and for brain development.
鈥淲e are investigating alternatives for parent-child contact, such as microphones, speakers, cameras, and systems that replicate the mother鈥檚 movements. We record the mother鈥檚 heartbeat and play it back inside the incubator.鈥�
鈥淚t is very important that parents remain involved,鈥� says Van der Ven. 鈥淲e work closely with parents and patient advocacy groups to ensure this technology aligns with their needs as much as possible. Parents who have lost a premature baby often tell us they would have chosen this technology if it had been available.鈥�
Outlook for the artificial womb incubator
The team expects to begin clinical trials within five years. The coming years will focus on developing and validating the complete system.
The project brings together biomedical engineers, industrial designers, physicians (including neonatologists, gynecologists, midwives, and NICU nurses), electrical engineers, software engineers, health insurers, and hospitals.
The team is also collaborating with a medical simulation company to develop training programs for new procedures. 鈥淪imulation allows medical teams to practice many scenarios in advance, also with the help of a robotic baby.鈥�
Biomedical engineers are essential because they understand both the technical and medical aspects of the system and can bridge the gap between physicians, engineers, and other specialists. They ensure that all elements, from monitoring to flow and pressure regulation, are integrated as effectively as possible.
The coming years will focus on integration and refinement. 鈥淒eveloping a system this complex requires collaboration at every level,鈥� says Van der Ven. 鈥淲e are combining medical knowledge and technological innovation to better understand biology and engineering. Ultimately, our goal is simple: to give a better start for life for the most vulnerable babies.鈥�
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